Derek Llambias has revealed today that Joe Kinnear has been doing quite a bit of work for Newcastle, even though he’s been in bed for much of the time, recovering from his open heart surgery.
Derek Llambias with Mike Ashley
But as far as doing anything in the transfer market, nothing can be done in that area, until we know we will be in the Premier League next season.
And of course we have a really crucial game on Saturday, when the lads travel to Hull City, in what is a MUST WIN game.
Managing Director Llambias knows how important Saturday’s trip is to Hull City, as he said to the Newcastle Journal today:
“Joe won’t stop thinking about Newcastle, the team, the coaching staff and everything else. He’s in good spirits, but he knows we’re in a difficult position.”
“The Hull City game looks as though it will be a massive one for the club and we all realize that.”
“As well as analyzing all the tapes and passing messages on to Chris Hughton, he is also looking at transfer targets and things like that.”
“But we have to make sure we are safe before we start setting the ball rolling on those sorts of things.”
Given the players we were after in January, we have a reasonable idea of those we will pursue, and most of them look really good players. And we leaned yesterday that we had gone after Argentine Riquelme for next season, but he turned us down. Nevertheless, the fact we went after him will be good news to Newcastle fans.
First things first though, and before we start talking about who we may go after in the summer, it will all depend on surviving in the Premier League, and the sooner we can get to safety the better it will be for Newcastle fans, who’ve had to put up with a lot at the club this season, and that’s saying something.
But if we can survive the likelihood is that we’ll get some good players through the door in the summer, and we look forward to getting one or two young players at bargain prices, like we did with Sebastien Bassong last summer. This lad is already rated at £10M, and he’s probably worth even more than that.
We also expect to bring more teenagers into the club, and with any luck, we should have a much stronger squad come September.
But if we get relegated we’ll need to go to Plan B, and we’ll need to unload top wage earners like Owen, Smith, Martins, Viduka and others.
We’re not really sure exactly the players we will be able to afford if we do get relegated, and we’d rather not even think about that right now, quite honestly.
We need 3 points at the KC Stadium on Saturday against Hull City.
Comments welcome.
112 comments so far
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Comment #1What is the point of pinpointing transfers when we aint got a clue if we will still be in the premiership or who may need to replace?
Seems very strange as we usually identify suitable targets when there 24 hrs left in the transfer window without a hope in hell of signing them.
More spin and ToonBaloney in my opinion and Ashley would take 5M to make a quick tidy profit on Bassong…who judging by his quotes doesn’t see himself at our club next season.
I think the chickens are coming home to roost at the club,the writing is on the wall.
And now we have appointed Houghton to be involved in transfers hasn’t he got enough to do at the moment?
“As well as analyzing all the tapes and passing messages on to Chris Hughton, he is also looking at transfer targets and things like that.”
Ericles
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:42 AM
Comment #2If we get relegated, and I do not think we will, it would be a matter of getting rid of big wage earners and those who would not get us back to the Premier.
So we cannot consider yet who we would need to get.
What worries me is who would desert for better fields elsewhere. But a better thought is – who would remain and still be proud to play for NUFC with the aim of a quick return to the top flight? I can actually think of quite a few. Not Owen of course, but I could see Steven Taylor, Harper, and a good few of the local talent loyal. Not an issue – dump Hull on Saturday and stay up lads. Just love it to see Martins fill Wengers pants with goals.
komfort
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Comment #3ed , i’m sure they have already pencilled in 2/3 days in the summer for our transfer activity.
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Comment #4There will be no quick return to the prem I am afraid..it is one tuff division to get back out of.
If we go down current squad will be ripped apart that is why clubs are enquiring about our players so soon.
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:51 AM
Comment #5Surely looking at recruitment now and “watching tapes”can only be a distraction from the job in hand,which is to get these lads to win matches and survive?
bennytoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Comment #6I disagree that the team will get ripped apart when you go down. Only owen,martins and bassong are guaranteed to stay in the prem. The others are good first division players anyway.
I think you will go down but come straight back up and go on to become a yo yo club like Leicester. You might even win that elusive bit of silverware by winning the division. See, every cloud and all that.
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Comment #7What tapes do you reckon he is watching,Big Match ITV 1974 on Betamax?
komfort
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:54 AM
Comment #8rodzilla/batty , i’ve sniffed out these little gems for today ; red moloney-calgary bay-witchita lineman-garde champetre.
komfort
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:55 AM
Comment #9sirjason 7 , brill !!
Sav
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Comment #10Are those bluebirds on the horizon, or vultures starting to circle?
At this stage, given the silences and inconsistencies (that’s the polite term, I believe) from our lot, I look at what our own players are doing – Shay and Zog preferred Wigan and turning down the club appearance record to play for the Mancs. Bassong is dropping steaming great hints and the word in football appears to be we are ripe for the scavengers.
Not good.
beyethegreat
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Comment #11sirjason
if we do get relegated i would be extremely confident of coming back up
yes it is a tough league but we already have a few good championship players here and a few prem quality 1s that weould stay
harper
carroll
ameobi
lualua
kadar
ranger
vuckic?
plus we would have a decent size budget after selling all our other players
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Comment #12Heard we are chasing Paul Mariner and Steve Perryman.
komfort
Mar 10, 2009 at 10:58 AM
Comment #13bennyhill, first class merchant banker !
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:01 AM
Comment #14Maybe Beye yeah…just depends who stays I suppose.
I think the team needs wholesale changes anyway as they clearly can’t work together consistently so maybe going down and releasing all the big earners will set the club on a better footing for the Future.
Trying to think of some positives : )
Whumpie
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:03 AM
Comment #15SJT: If you re-read the whole quote, with the para before it, I think you’ll see that the tapes bit refers to the Hull game and not the transfers bit. Hope so, anyway.
As for planning for transfers, we make enough fuss (rightly) when they don’t plan properly and end up rushing things – so it’s all good if they start the ground-work now, even if we don’t know which league we’ll be in.
Sav
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Comment #16Glad to see some of us are already starting to see the silver lining to the ‘R’ word!
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Comment #17Totally Agree Sav..Bassong if his comments are true is doing exactly what Charlie did in the early stages of his moaning…trying to lever a move.
I would go around each player individually and ask “do you want to fight for newcastle?” If I had any doubts that the commitment to the club was not 100% I would ship them out.
beyethegreat
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:05 AM
Comment #18if we stay up the players i would get rid of are
ameobi
viduka
owen(will go anyway)
duff
butt
geremi
cacapa
Stardust
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:06 AM
Comment #19Sav – SJT if supporting Newcastle gives you so much pain – why do you do it. You’d be better off without the mysery in your life and the club would be better of if you didnt too – as we would only have positive fans. Please feel free to support Man City or somthing else.
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Comment #20Well spotted Whumpie…What tapes do you think he is watching the poor performances so far against Hull reserves?
The planning at this stage is nonsense,like I said we have no clue about our destiny,who will be replaced/sold etc etc ,it is lies and spin.
pk08
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:08 AM
Comment #21who the f* said bassong was worth 10 million ed!? Youve just quoted your own speculation as fact….!
komfort
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:09 AM
Comment #22stardust , top of the morning to you
bennytoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Comment #23I am sure sjp will be supporting someone else if the unthinkable happens.
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Comment #24Oh here he is King Moderator Rocket Man himself Mr Alvin Stardust.
Don’t tell me what to do,say or who to support and stop trying to moderate the Blog…make your point and Shut The Fk UP !
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:12 AM
Comment #25Yeah Benny Spurs here I come.
bennytoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Comment #26sirjasontoon- you never have anything positive to say and you were one of the silly fans calling for protests against Ashley. Its you and sheep like you who have contributed to the mess.
komfort
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:13 AM
Comment #27kiss and make up anyone ??
bennytoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Comment #28And spurs is to far for you top cycle.
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:14 AM
Comment #29Just a suggestion Benny boy take the NY from your name it will suit you sir !
BENTOON
THE MAGPIE
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Comment #30Joe can look at all the transfer targets he likes but we all know the power lies elsewhere.
batty
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Comment #31komfort celestial halo 9to 1 cracking each way m8 champion hurdle and pagan star princess 440 its 50to1 ech way it beat chomba womba two races ago and chomba second fav i think
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:15 AM
Comment #32Benny I was one of the first people on the Blog to be anti Ashley so get your facts correct.
will die for the toon army
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Comment #33Guys we need to stay together and b able to support our toon and b able to think positive. All we need is patience and i know he will make it MA is a bright man he will b successfull if we beat relegation.
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:17 AM
Comment #34P.S don’t bother speaking in my direction your patter is boring.
Stardust
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Comment #35To be fair SJT – yes you were one of the first Anti Ashley ones – I remember well – youre a visionary. You chose to campaign against the club and man who paid off 300 million while supporting the one who removed 150 million.
Genius……and you wonder why we struggle with your views……..
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Comment #36I don’t see any success anywhere in Mike’s football vocabulary it has been a total shambles since he took over.
sirjasontoon
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:23 AM
Comment #37Stardust lets agree to disagree..don’t want to fall out with fellow geordies.
Truce.
komfort
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Comment #38come on stardust shake his hand
brownrob
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:25 AM
Comment #39Except SJT isnt a geordie 😉
Just pulling mate! 😀
will die for the toon army
Mar 10, 2009 at 11:26 AM
Comment #40SJT u r useless i get so disappointed that i support the same club as you. Its jst a shame.